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Copernicium
}} Copernicium is element number 112 with the symbol '''Cn. It is a very dense, and volatile liquid metal with similarities to mercury, and due to its full electron shells, it is only slightly reactive. Properties Physical Properties Copernicium is a very heavy volatile and silvery liquid metal with a low melting point of only -136.41 °C, and a boiling point of 37.58 °C, both of which are extremely low for a metal. Additionally, it acts less like a metal than than any of the elements above it in group 12, being a poor conductor of heat as well as being a semiconductor, with a bandgap of about 0.20eV. It has a density of 23.75g/cm3 in the liquid form at room temperature, which is denser than any element in period 6 or earlier. Copernicium loses its 6d electrons instead of its 7s ones when ionized to the Cn+ and Cn2+ states, which is opposite from the behavior of the elements above it in the periodic table. Its low boiling point and high volatility make it a difficult and dangerous metal to work with, as precautions must be taken to prevent it from escaping into the air. Chemical Properties Copernicium behaves more like a transition metal than the metals above it, due to it losing its 6d electrons instead of its 7s electrons due to the relativistic stabilization of the 7s electron shell. It mainly forms compounds in the +2 and +4 oxidation states, with the ion, analogous to the ion, being much rarer and unstable in solution. Of all the oxidation states, the +4 state is the most stable, and Copernicium is additionally hard to ionize due to its high ionization energy, comparable to that of xenon. Copernicium's chemical properties are due to the fact that it has full 5f, 6d and 7s electron shells, resulting in similarities between copernicium and the noble gases. Chemistry Copernicium exhibits four main oxidation states: a zero oxidation state, as well as I, II, and IV states. Copernicium's range of oxidation states is similar to that of mercury, though it is more likely to be found in the 0 oxidation state than mercury is, and additionally, copernicium(IV) is far more stable than mercury(IV). Compounds of copernicium(0) In addition to the state of pure copernicium metal, copernicium readily alloys itself with other metals in a manner similar to mercury. Several metals such as iron and platinum do not form alloys with copernicium, but many others do. Unwanted copernicium alloys can easily be created, where they then cause problems due to liquid metal embrittlement or disruption of protective oxide layers, resulting in increased oxidation of the metal. Additionally, due to it's low boiling point and high vapor pressure, it can easily spread to other metal objects that are simply located near a sample of liquid copernicium, without them actually touching the liquid. Copernicium readily forms an amalgam with mercury, whose properties are an average between those of pure copernicium and mercury. Compounds of copernicium(I) Copernicium(I) compounds consist of the ion are rare and unstable in solution, typically converting to a mix of copernicium(II) compounds and elemental copernicium. The most common compounds are copernicium(I) chloride (Cn2Cl2) and copernicium(I) bromide, (Cn2Br2) both of which are white compounds that become stained with yellow when exposed to strong light. Compounds of copernicium(II) Most copernicium halides have copernicium in the II oxidation state, though copernicium(II) fluoride is unstable and converts to copernicium(IV) fluoride and metallic copernicium. Copernicium(II) oxide is also known, however it is readily oxidized in air to form copernicium(IV) oxide. Copernicium can most commonly be found as copernicium(II) sulfide, which is a dark red mineral with similarities to cinnabar. Compounds of copernicium(IV) Copernicium(IV) oxide is the most common oxide of copernicium, it is a yellow, crystalline substance that decomposes back to the elements at temperatures above 350°C. Copernicium(IV) fluoride is the most stable fluoride, copernicium(IV) chloride is also known though it typically releases chlorine gas to become copernicium(II) chloride. Copernicide Compounds Copernicium is also known to form a single compound with copernicium in the -1 oxidation state as well: Hydrogen copernicide. (H2Cn2) Hydrogen copernicide is a clear unstable gas that readily disassociates back into its component elements. Ogranocopernicium compounds Copernicium readily forms bonds with carbon and carbon compounds, where the most common such compounds are in the form of either methylcopernicium (CH3CnX) or ethylcopernicium (C2H5CnX), where X is typically a halide or another carbon group. Dimethylcopernicium ((CH3)2Hg) is a highly toxic compound, though it is noticably less toxic than the mercury equivalent. Toxicity Copernicium is quite toxic, similarly to mercury, however unlike mercury, elemental copernicium is less dangerous due to it being difficult to oxidize, so the main danger comes from soluble copernicium compounds, along with organocopernicium compounds, especially methylcopernicium and dimethylcopernicium. Copernicium is most easily cleaned up in a similar manner to mercury, by combining droplets and moving them to a suitable container, followed by the addition of powdered sulfur, zinc or other compound that alloys with copernicium, which is then properly disposed of. Copernicium's high volatility is also problematic, due to the possibility of exposure to copernicium vapors.